April 22, 2008

US & Canada | US | Utah, Arizona

The Smarter Safari

By Judy D'Mello

The world’s first carbon-neutral travel company? So claims Natural Habitat Adventures — and they want to take you for a ride.

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It’s Earth Day today and the big names in travel are making big promises to save the planet. Virgin Atlantic recently piloted the world’s first green 747 flight, powered partly by coconut and babassu nut oils. And Orly Airport in Paris plans to pipe zero-emissions heat through its terminals by tapping into a geothermal system warmed by the earth’s core. But, for now, it’s the little guys who’ve got our attention.

Natural Habitat Adventures tout themselves as “the world’s first carbon-neutral travel company” (through offsetting their emissions), and specialize in small-group nature tours from the Arctic and Antarctica. Given the fact they’re the official travel provider for World Wildlife Fund, we’re keeping an open ear to NHA’s ballyhoo. On May 25, the Boulder, Colorado, based outfitters debut what they call the world’s first hybrid safari truck on their Canyons & Beyond expedition through southern Utah and northern Arizona.

Run on regular gasoline, Hybrid Safari One’s engine switches off and over to battery when idling, and comes retrofitted with strengthened suspension and bucket seats — good news for the four lucky passengers who’ll be the public’s first to experience the vehicle through the dentally challenging terrain around Bryce, Zion and Grand Canyons. The four-wheel-drive is also pimped out with a sliding roof and customized flip-up photography windows. But the real news here is the simple fact that Hybrid Safari One gets 25 miles per gallon (double that of comparable vehicles). Meaning the southwest’s multi-hued desert landscape might now turn a touch greener.